A Buyer's Marketplace, A Sellers Dungeon
Written: Aug 12 '05 (Updated Aug 12 '05)
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Twenty years ago, if you wanted to buy or sell your used car, the #1 way to do it was list it in the newspaper. However, as times and technologies have changed, so have the ways to buy and sell a used car. Auto Trader started out as a magazine dedicated to selling cars. The Auto Trader of today is a magazine and an online web service, both dedicated to car sellers and buyers. Since this review is for the online service, I will stick to my thoughts on the AutoTrader Online Service and keep my comments about the Auto Trader magazine to a minimum.
I've used AutoTrader Online Service both to buy cars and sell cars.
WEBSITE:
AutoTrader Onlince Service (www.autotrader.com) is pretty effective as far as websites go. The site is pretty easy to navigate, even for web novices. It can run a little slow sometimes when searching for a selection or running a query. But overall it is well designed and robust.
Of note is there are always banner ads on the site advertising various carmakers and their products. While banner ads can be annoying, at least these ads appear to be somewhat intelligently displayed (Example: If you search for a particular brand of car, the banner ad normally changes to display an ad for that particular car manufacturer).
BUYING:
Searching for a car to buy on AutoTrader is fairly simple. Searches are determined by car Manufacturer, Make, Year, and Price Range. Search results are then displayed by order of price with summarized information and thumbnail photos on certain ads.
Overall my experiences buying cars that were advertised on AutoTrader have been good. However, all buyers should keep the following in mind:
- AutoTrader does not screen or endorse those that sell cars on their website.
- AutoTrader is not involved in the sale of the vehicle, that is solely the responsibilities of the buyer and seller.
- Most of the information and pictures in the advertisement are provided by the seller, AutoTrader does not check accuracy or confirm information.
SELLING:
Of course, the driving force of AutoTrader Online Services is sellers.
AutoTrader has three distinct packages for selling your vehicle: Standard, Enhanced, and Deluxe.
-Standard: Inlcudes single (small) photo, detailed description, and 3 week duration. Cost is approximately $39.00 (may vary per area).
-Enhanced: Same as Standard but includes more photos (up to 9), "Run 'til it sells" (ad can be renewed for free until car is sold), and bold font for the ad. Cost is approximately $49.00.
- Deluxe: Same as Enhanced but includes double size photos (in magazine ad), highlighted advertisement, & thumbnail picture. Cost is approximately $79.00.
OTHER SERVICES:
In addition to buying and selling cars, AutoTrader Online Services include links to Car Research, Car Loans and Insurance. These are step-by-step guides for helping buyers make decisions regarding the car they want to buy, how to buy it, and how to insure it after it is purchased. There is some useful information there for beginners, but overall it boils down to an excuse for loan and insurance companies to advertise (and for AutoTrader to benefit financially).
CRITIQUES:
While buying cars off AutoTrader has been fairly trouble-free, selling cars on AutoTrader hasn't been the best of experiences. The following are my biggest gripes about the site:
- One time when revising the price for my vehicle, I accidentally added a "0" to the price that I didn't intend (Price went from $9400 to $94000). When I spotted the error, I fixed the price, however the price kept reverting back to the wrong price every time the ad renewed. I was very frustrated by this.
- As far as I can tell, the Customer Service department is not very responsive. So, if you have a problem with your listing, it might take awhile (and some screaming) to get your problem fixed.
- Buyers (and scammers) can always send you e-mails from the site. I received more scam e-mails pretending to be interested buyers than actual buyers. I wanted to turn off the ability for buyers to e-mail me and have them call me only, but this is currently not an option with AutoTrader. (Warning to sellers: be wary of any e-mails with buyers wishing to purchase your car sight unseen and sending cashiers checks. 99% of the time this is a scam.)
- While the Standard ad seems like a fair price at $39, if you can't sell it in 3 weeks then you've spent your money for nothing. Also, the jump in price from Enhanced to Deluxe services is staggering, and does not seem to justify the services added.
OVERALL:
While AutoTrader is probably one of the more well-known online car advertisments (which is probably its biggest strength), I haven't found it to be very seller friendly. Next time I am in the market to buy a car, I will still use AutoTrader Online Services as one of the ways to find a car. However, the next time I need to sell a car, I will probably try some other online service to advertise my car in.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
mrrenison
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Reviews written: 35
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